


Unfinished Nr1

by sinumbral



Series: Sasra's Scrapyard [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Ala Mhigo (Final Fantasy XIV), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Garleans (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22178248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinumbral/pseuds/sinumbral
Summary: Zenos dies for real at the Royal Menagerie, and a contingent of Garleans arrives to collect his body.
Series: Sasra's Scrapyard [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595977
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Unfinished Nr1

**Author's Note:**

> Intended to be the beginning of a longer project, partially outlined before I got sick. Now back-burnered indefinitely. As such, it is unbetaed and unlikely to ever be.

The scarlet airship that sets down at the Royal Menagerie is not unexpected, but that does nothing to settle the uneasiness settling in the stomachs of Ala Mhigo’s new-formed government. There had been no few arguments to shoot the thing out of the sky and be done with the Garleans and what some had claimed was only the precursor to another attempt at conquest, but if it was that, it was a piss-poor one in Raubahn Aldynn’s eyes. A single ship making no attempt at a stealthy approach, its weapons not run out--it had even radioed in before drawing near to the city, and _thankfully_ the Imperial communications center at the Palace hadn’t been dismantled so they could receive the message. The quiet, even voice of the man on the other end had promised no ill intent.

He claimed, instead, to be here for the body of Zenos yae Galvus.

The hatch opens with a hiss and a whine loud enough to draw the General from his thoughts; eleven soldiers proceed down the ramp, ten bearing a large casket clearly intended for the Prince and the last, helmless and in glasses, marking time. They set down their cargo--heavy, it seems, even empty--in a clear space off to the side of the ship and then stand at attention, still moving as though they were a single mind in eleven bodies.

Another click of metal heels on the metal gangway drags Raubahn’s attention back to the ship. A twelfth soldier stands limned in the dim light of the bay; he gives a final nod to someone out of view and turns to head down. A legatus--he must be, his armor a brighter red than any Raubahn has ever seen outside of the Coliseum, its horns curling upwards like those of an antelope. He stops at the bottom and offers a gesture that’s half salute and half bow, a dipping of the head as his right hand moves slowly over his heart in a motion that lacks any of the usual Garlean harshness. He’s tall, likely taller than Raubahn even out of the armor--a pureblood. Or possibly an elezen…

The sibilant hiss of escaping air as his helm is removed puts paid to that notion. The man’s features are finely-wrought betokening an exalted birth, save for his nose which can only be compared to the beak of a gryphon. It doesn’t look a face well-suited to smiling, and the circles under his eyes seem to be etched in ink, so dark and deep are they. Still, the corners of his mouth turn up a tad and there’s a hint of something approaching warmth in his eyes when he speaks.

“My greetings to you, General Aldynn. Emperor Varis of Garlemald sends his regards, and requests the cooperation of the provisional government of Ala Mhigo.”


End file.
